Last year my family joined a local classical Christian homeschooling co-op that meets once a week for tutorials. I taught the literature class for 9th-12th graders, and it was a wonderful experience. I hope to post more about last year’s class soon.
The co-op uses George Grant’s Gileskirk Humanities curriculum for grades 9-12, so the literature class is partly derived from the Gileskirk reading list (with a few tweaks of my own).
Here’s the list for the upcoming school year:
Mythology by Edith Hamilton (Assigned for summer reading. A classic introduction to Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology. I remember reading this in 7th grade . . . for Latin class, I think.)
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Rasselas by Samuel Johnson (OK, this isn’t ancient lit—but George Grant includes it in Gileskirk with the study of Proverbs because it deals with issues of wisdom. A former student praised it highly, and I’m also interested because it’s the book Helen Burns is reading in Jane Eyre, so I decided to include it.
The Iliad by Homer
The Odyssey by Homer
Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Euminides by Aeschylus
Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone by Sophocles
The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans by Plutarch
The Aeneid by Virgil
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (another divergence from the literature of the period, but hey, it’s Shakespeare, and it’s about the period)
Heroes of the City of Man by Peter Leithart
How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler (summer reading)
Most ancient literature includes some objectionable material. I’ll be posting about that in the next blog entry.
What are your favorite books from ancient literature? Leave a comment!
Blessings,
Mary Jo Tate
Mary Jo, I didn’t read even 1/3 of what you did. I applaud you!!!
Janet
http://www.pineblossomswebsites.com
I enjoyed perusing last year’s reading list, MJ. I’ve read a number of those myself and found others I’d like to add to my own list. I just borrowed Rex Russell’s book which I hope to begin soon.
I’m also in the midst of Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher and Slow Food edited by Carlo Petrini.
I only posted 4 books in our NY Newsletter: The Heart of Anger by Lou Priolo, The Enchanted Places by Christopher Robin Milne, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (a book T.S. Elliot called “the first and greatest of English detective novels”), and the wisdom literature and Isaiah by God.
Lisa B.
Hello Mary Jo
Last year I started with list much like that, but with moving and all we didn’t get much done. I still would like to do those books. I have them 😉 !!
Hope to see you in CO next month!
karen
But since I don’t, what would you recommend for a mom who has had no background in learning to understand, let alone appreciate these works? Where should one start? When I read Dr. Grant’s comments about Rasselas it was obvious He values it highly as a treasure. But from the other posts it’s obvious others don’t! :0) How does one learn to “see” when there isn’t another to guide? I know there’s still much of Shakespeare I am oblivious to – but once when I taught a drama class that produced the Merchant of Venice one of the other moms who helped me teach the class was passionate about Shakespeare and as she shared, it really came alive for me and the whole class. So should I just wait until such times as I meet people who can serve as guides to discover the treasure? Unfortunately those are becoming fewer and fewer! Or is there another way? I sure wish there was a literature class on DVD like Dr. Grant’s to learn from!
Perplexed but hopeful, Deb from Tampa, FL :0)